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Man raped housemate after she rejected his relationship request, gets jail and caning
A man who raped his housemate after she rejected his request for a relationship has been sentenced in Singapore to 10 years in prison and six strokes of the cane. The case highlights the seriousness with which the court treats rape, including when it happens in a victim’s home.
Iranian national Keivan Motallebi, 34, pleaded guilty to one rape charge, with a second similar charge taken into consideration. The court heard that he entered the woman’s bedroom after she turned him down, forced his way in and raped her; he later apologised, and she reported the assault to police. Motallebi argued that the flat was also his home, but the judge said that did not change the fact that the offence took place in the victim’s home.
In short
- A Singapore court sentenced Motallebi to 10 years in prison.
- He was also ordered to receive six strokes of the cane.
- The judge said sharing the flat did not change the home aggravating factor.
Explained simply
In Singapore, rape is a criminal offence, and courts can impose prison terms and caning for some offences. A case may involve more than one charge, though a court can take an additional charge into consideration when sentencing without separately deciding it.
The people involved here were Keivan Motallebi, an Iranian national who shared a flat with the woman, and his housemate. The case concerns an assault in her bedroom after she had refused his request for a relationship, and the court considered whether sharing the flat affected how the offence should be understood.